National concussion clinical guidelines now available

Most frequently caused by falls and motor vehicle accidents, as well as contact sports, domestic violence and assaults, concussion occurs in all age groups, with children and young adults having the highest incidence. At an estimated annual cost of $100 million, around 240,000 people in Australia and New Zealand require medical attention for concussions each year. Now, the first Australia- and New Zealand-specific guidelines for all forms of concussion — from injury to recovery — are available at anzconcussionguidelines.com.

“General practitioners and healthcare practitioners are crucial in concussion care but often lack confidence in managing recovery,” said paediatric neurologist Professor Karen Barlow of The University of Queensland’s Child Health Research Centre.

“There is currently a gap in knowledge among clinicians and patients, despite strong evidence-based recommendations for improving concussion outcomes,” Barlow added. “About 40% of general practitioners don’t feel confident managing concussion when symptoms persist.”

The guidelines are being implemented across Australian and New Zealand healthcare systems via an initiative called Mind the Gap. “Mind the Gap is a holistic model that will improve concussion care, utilising technology to improve concussion education for the patient and the clinician,” Barlow said.

“Australians are asking for more consistency in care. This new model of care will improve patient outcomes, particularly among vulnerable communities.”

Patients and families will be helping to design and test every aspect of the model, with a web-based best-practice care guide for clinicians and patients included, and a tool to support shared decision-making.

Image credit: iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz